27. Chess Mates Tutoring

Revenue: $1.1 million
Growth: 28.46%
Founders: Ash Reddy
Head office: Brisbane, QLD
Year founded: 2012
Employees: 93
Industry: Education
Website: chessmates.com.au

How Chess Mates Tutoring started

Ash Reddy had a tough start in life. His father was murdered before he turned two, and his mother raised him by herself following the terrible tragedy. But he found joy in chess at a young age. When he turned 19, he discovered he had five half-siblings, and while following the well-worn path of university degree to working as an auditor for a big four accounting firm, he found himself back in Darwin, where his father had lived.

After connecting with his paternal family, tragedy struck again when his half-brother took his own life, causing Ash to completely re-evaluate his path. He swapped accounting for teaching, deciding he could make a more meaningful impact in the world by using chess as a tool to nurture young minds.

The vision for Chess Mates? Teaching 1 million people how to play chess by 2030.

Growth

Ash Reddy founded the company in 2012, but it was 2020 that was a turning point. Swiftly transitioning to online classes at the start of the pandemic, Chess Mates expanded beyond Australia, reaching students in New Zealand and the US.

But that didn’t mean it fell behind on its ambitions in Australia, as the company scaled from 80 school locations at the start of 2020, doubling in three years to 190 schools.

While its competitors pulled back on marketing, Chess Mates said it doubled down and hired a full-time salesperson. The results speak for themselves.

Where to next

In the next year, the company wants to expand its footholds in Australia: specifically Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Today, it serves 15 schools in Adelaide and 24 in Melbourne. The goal is to double those numbers within 12 months.

Chess Mates was shortlisted for the Community Award at The Smart50 Awards 2023.

Back to The Smart50 Awards 2023.